Thereâs truthâand then thereâs love
Sedona Campbell is an attorney who works with The Lemonade Stand, a unique womenâs shelter in California. Sheâs called in to advise fifteen-year-old Tatum Malone, who claims sheâs been abusedâby her brother, not her boyfriend. Itâs Sedonaâs job to sort out truth from lie. She soon discovers thatâs not an easy task, especially once she meets Tanner Malone. Because despite herself, sheâs attracted to him.
Tanner has always protected his younger sisterâbut sheâs lying about him. And heâs falling for Sedona. Between them, maybe they can figure out why Tatumâs doing this. Maybe then he and Sedona will be free to love each otherâ¦.
A war was raging inside Tanner
A war between guardian and man. His entire adult life had belonged to the guardian. Tonight, the man was fighting for life. He wanted these few minutes with Sedona. Wanted to relax and enjoy the peace she seemed to bring into every room she entered. Into every space she occupiedâeven outdoors.
He matched his pace to her more sedate one, listening to the waves. âSo why are you telling me this?â he asked. Sheâd said she liked him.
âHonestly?â She kicked at the sand, sending it shooting in front of them. âIâm not sure.â
âGuess.â
âI like you.â She repeated what sheâd said earlier, but with a deeper note in her voice.
âAnd thatâs a problem?â
âIt is if it gets in the way of my professional judgment.â
âSo donât let it.â
âIâm trying not to. Butâ¦â
Another surge of emotion hit him at that but and he waited for it to dissipate before saying, âWhat are you afraid of?â
She shrugged again. Her shoulders, accentuated by the thin cotton straps of her dress, seemed so feminine to him. Soâ¦in need of protection. âI guess Iâm afraid youâll like me, too.â
He bent his head. The move wasnât premeditated. He touched his lips to Sedonaâs and justâ¦felt.
Dear Reader,
Life, in all its messiness, is a miracle. We have to be willing to stay on the ride, sometimes just holding on, when the road gets bumpy, in order to avail ourselves of the perfect moments.
And sometimes we need a safe place in which to take a time out.
The Lemonade Stand, Where Secrets Are Safe, is one of those places. The Stand is going to be around for a long time. Youâll have many opportunities to stay here with me. And to experience some perfect moments while you doâyou know the kind, where you escape into a story, experience a whole other world, maybe find some meaningful tidbits that somehow apply to your life, all without leaving your chair.
I hope youâll also see the perfection in the messiness. The value in the struggle. Families are tough. Maybe more than anyone else, we trust our family members to have our backs. To love us no matter what. And with that trust comes the capacity for great painâif our trust is broken. If family members arenât who we think they are. We can misunderstand each other. And we understand, too. We know that family is heart. And heart is the one thing we canât ever completely walk away from.
So we run to a place like the Lemonade Stand, Where Secrets Are Safe and pain can be healed. Come on in. Get comfortable. And be prepared to find family and love!
Iâm a spokesperson for the National Domestic Violence Hotline (www.thehotline.org. 1-800-799-7233), and I also work with an organization called Chrysalis (www.noabuse.org). Chrysalis has several shelters and they offer certified counseling for victims and for abusers, as well as legal aid and financial aid for those starting over.
I love to hear from readers. You can reach me at www.TaraTaylorQuinn.com.
Tara Taylor Quinn
P.S. Watch for my new womenâs fiction title, The Friendship Pact, coming from MIRA as an ebook this month.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With sixty-six original novels, published in more than twenty languages, Tara Taylor Quinn is also a USA TODAY bestselling author. She is a winner of the 2008 National Readerâs Choice Award, four-time finalist for the RWA RITA® Award, a finalist for the Reviewerâs Choice Award, the Booksellerâs Best Award, the Holt Medallion and appears regularly on Amazon bestsellers lists. Tara Taylor Quinn is a past president of the Romance Writers of America and served for eight years on its Board of Directors. She is in demand as a public speaker and has appeared on television and radio shows across the country, including CBS Sunday Morning. Tara is a spokesperson for the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and she and her husband, Tim, sponsor an annual inline skating race in Phoenix to benefit the fight against domestic violence. When sheâs not at home in Arizona with Tim and their canine owners, Jerry Lee and Taylor Marie, or fulfilling speaking engagements, Tara spends her time traveling and inline skating.
For Rachel Marie Stoddard.
Let your spirit soar, sweetie. Always listen to your heart. Be happy.